Where The Mind Is Without Fear

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

#Rabindranath Tagore's composition

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अपना इंदोर

**Unlike my other write-ups, this poetry is a different version of my literary skills that includes some Indori terminologies which have become a part of our day-to-day communication.

ये एक नम्बर  कविता मेरे दोस्तोन  को समर्पित है, जो मुझे इसे लिखने के लिए उत्साहित कर रिये  थे.  अब इसका मतलब लगा लो अपने हिसाब से. 

जो अपनापान इंदोर के अपन  में हे वो कहीं ओर के हम  में कहाँ,

जो भाईचारा इंदोर के भिया  में हे वो कहीं ओर के भैया  में कहाँ,

जो सुर इंदोर में सेंव (from the windpipe) केने में हे वो कहीं ओर के नमकीन  में कहाँ,

जो गूंज इंदोर के चंकट  में हे वो कहीं ओर के चाटे  में कहाँ,

 एँ, जो शान इंदोरी भाषा  में हे वो ओर कहाँ,

जो गुरुत्वाकर्षण इंदोर के ढोलने  में हे वो कहीं ओर के गिरने  में कहाँ,

जो सच्चाई इंदोर कि बत्ती  में हे वो कहीं ओर के झूठ  में कहाँ,

जो सुकून इंदोर कि चिल्ला-चोट  में हे वो कहीं ओर के चिल्लाने  में कहाँ,

जो मज़ा इंदोर के जमावड़े  में हे वो कहीं ओर के मिलन समारोह  में कहाँ,

एँ, जो शान इंदोरी भाषा  में हे वो ओर कहाँ,

जो शालीनता इंदोर के ऐ बारिक  में हे वो कहीं ओर के excuse me में कहाँ,

जो बड़प्पन इंदोर में ओर बड़े  कहलाने में हे वो कहीं ओर के Hey friend में कहाँ,

एँ, जो शान इंदोरी भाषा  में हे वो ओर कहाँ, 

ओर तो ओर, जो अपने इंदोर में हे साब वो कहीं ओर नी हे.

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The Last Telegram or The Lost Telegram

I never wrote a telegram, literally I never did. 

Oops, I wrote one for English exam while it was a part of my school curriculum! 

I should blame technology for not letting me learn to write a telegram. Indeed, written letters are another living artifact. This is not a “skill” (if you could even call it that) that matters in a world where programming is the new literacy. As an adult, I have not mailed a single letter.

But change in society (and people freaking out at it) is basically how the world works. Many of you reading this will be upset that a child did not know how to mail a letter. I’ll say it does not matter and is about as relevant as me understanding how to use a telegraph or rotary telephone. It might be interesting to some as quaint nostalgia for the past, but it’s not practical, useful or even required in today’s society. Especially if you are going to live a digital-first lifestyle.

I never wrote a telegram, literally I never did. 

Oops, I wrote one for English exam while it was a part of my school curriculum! 

I should blame technology for not letting me learn to write a telegram. Indeed, written letters are another living artifact. This is not a “skill” (if you could even call it that) that matters in a world where programming is the new literacy. As an adult, I have not mailed a single letter.

But change in society (and people freaking out at it) is basically how the world works. Many of you reading this will be upset that a child did not know how to mail a letter. I’ll say it does not matter and is about as relevant as me understanding how to use a telegraph or rotary telephone. It might be interesting to some as quaint nostalgia for the past, but it’s not practical, useful or even required in today’s society. Especially if you are going to live a digital-first lifestyle.

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Flashback...

Two years later, all my college mates are living an entirely different life. Sharing a reminiscence of those unforgettable 4 years.

College- a carefree world, life was full of dreams and plans for future; a place where
even punishments were fun; friendship was so innocent and selfless; canteen didn't serve delicious cuisines, but a baked samosa with friends was no less;"hidden" skills like calligraphy and drawing could be seen on last page of every notebook; laughter during lectures was infectious; we copied assignments, even the mistakes! 

Bunking lectures was fascinating; borrowing a pen was such a pleasure; fighting for seat in the bus was a routine.

Nothing could satisfy our hunger as eating from our lunch box under the desk during lectures did; sitting on the floor and studying for hours before our viva didn't shy us; an evergreen dialogue was- "I do not have balance in my mobile"; proxy attendance for "dost" had to be a duty of a "sacha dost"!

I am missing those days....missing my college days.

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Why do you criticize the country you live in?

Warning: This post may appear offensive to most readers.

"Is desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta"- I often hear people saying this.
On scrolling down my Facebook news feed everytime, 7/10 posts are anti-Indian! I wonder why do people not want to lose chances of criticizing or sharing JOKES on their own country. It might seem harmless, but it is infectious.
Would mocking at your own country; the administration, the government, the people, their culture and the financial conditions serve the cause?
"You are the problem and only you can be the solution."
If you don't do your bit to bring the change, then I think you do not possess any rights to exhibit your sarcasm over it. It is, and it will be the same unless you take a step for betterment.
Any yes, this was not a desh bhakti speech, neither do I say that our country is a paradise to live in!

At the end note, re-quoting a famous dialogue from the movie Rang De Basanti -

Koi bhi desh perfect nahin hota, usse perfect banana padta hai

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बस यूँ ही हम जिये जा रहे हैं!

बस यूँ ही हम जिये जा रहे हैं,
खुश रह्ने के तरीके ढूँढें जा रहे हैं!

कहाँ गयी वो मासूमियत,
खो गयी वो शरारत,
झूठी हँसी को खुशी का नाम दिए जा रहे हैं,
क्या सोचा और क्या किए जा रहे हैं,
बस यूँ ही हम जिये जा रहे हैं,
खुश रह्ने के तरीके ढूँढें जा रहे हैं!

आगे बढ़ने कि होड़ में ,
जीवन कि इस दौड़ में,
ख़ुद ही को पीछे छोड़ें जा रहे हैं,
सीमाओं का बहाना दिए जा रहे हैं,
बस यूँ ही हम जिये जा रहे हैं,
खुश रह्ने के तरीके ढूँढें जा रहे हैं!





 -By Mansi Ladha

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Who are we?

Are we really humans?? What’s the difference between a human and an animal…An animal wakes up in the morning , searches for food, eats, roams and then sleeps….and same does a human….wakes up, works , eats, then works, eats and sleeps.. What are we here for?? Is there any special reason why god has created a different species called human….yes of course, god wants us to do something better with our lives….something different…we have got only one life so make use of it..........!!!!

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मैं...

मैं.. मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

खिलती हुई कली सी मैं, सपने बुनती परी सी मैं,

विभिन्न रूपों में करते हो मेरी पूजा, सरस्वती, लक्ष्मी या दुर्गा,

अगर करते हो देवी का सम्मान, फिर क्यूँ करते हो मेरा ही अपमान,

मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

मन से हूँ चंचल, हृदय से कोमल,

कहते हो मैं हूँ अनमोल, फिर क्यू नहीँ करते मेरा मोल,

मुझसे ही सब कुछ है, पर मैं ही कुछ नहीँ,

जीवन देना मेरा कर्तव्य है, तो क्या जीना मेरा अधिकार नहीँ,

मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

सितारों को छूने के ख्वाब है मेरे, क्या ये रह जायेंगे यूँ ही अधूरे,

सोने के पंखों से उडने कि आशा है, पर सह्मी सी मेरे जीवन कि परिभाषा है,

हर पल करती हूँ मैं इंतज़ार, मेरे ख्वाबों को कैसे करूँ साकार,

मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

करती है दुनिया दुराचार, कहती है क्यूँ गयी तुम लक्ष्मण रेखा पार,

मैं एक बेटी हूँ, बहन हूँ, माँ हूँ और सहेली भी..

 -By Mansi Ladha

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Happy Republic day! - If this is about one-day celebration, I am not in!

We suddenly come up with a flood of "Desh Bhakti" feeling on this particular day of the year and not to forget, the 15th day of every August too. Social networking sites get flooded with pictures and wallpapers and quotes full of the so-called "desh bhakti". Schools, colleges, government organizations and almost every part of the country suddenly becomes gets immersed into the ocean of devotion for nation and the respect for martyrs!!
I feel like laughing at this funny shit.

Isn't it limited to being merely a national holiday? I ponder upon how people change their moods everyday.. The very next day they shall go back to their same old lives.

I believe that real "desh bhakti" seeks only fulfilling our part and doing our duties as individual citizens.

The very next day after these celebrations we get back to bribery, encouraging corruption, and to mention- every page of newspaper screaming about heinous crimes such as rapes, murder and a lot more.
Everyone of us is trying to fulfill our selfish motto by running to drain our brains to foreign countries to earn money, and eventually strengthening their economies? Wow, are these the same "desh bhakts".

Educational institutions invite (rather compel) children to join the celebration including flag hoisting, singing national anthem, desh bhakti songs and etc. Is that enough!!?
If this is so, then why do we see a lot of juveniles committing heinous crimes every alternate day... where did the actual morals go?
Their participation would be worth if they do their part well, that is, by studying well and turning up into responsible individuals. The nation is demanding its youth power to build a great future.

If this is all about one-day celebration, then I am not in!

If you have this flame of "desh bhakti" in you today, then I urge you to keep this ablaze throughout the year.

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